Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English football : 26-23

The Golden Boot is given to Premier Leagues highest goal scorer in the season. 

When you think about the highest goalscorers in England, there is only one name that towers above all the others-Alan Shearer. The Newcastle legend dominated defenders during his time as he became Premier League highest-ever goal scorer. The fact that the second-highest goalscorer remains a good 52 goals below speaks volumes about his record.

This prompted me to take a look at the highest goalscorers in England since its emergence way back in 1888. So is Shearer the highest ever goalscorer in England? Here I have piled a list of 26 of the highest goalscoring players ever in the history of English Football.

26. Denis Law - 201 goals

Denis Law was part one of the greatest attacking trios in English football

The Manchester United legend started his career in 1956 in the Second Division under legendary manager Bill Shankly in Huddersfield Town. The Scott played four seasons in the Second Division with the Terriers before earning a move to First Division side Manchester City in 1960.
The striker scored an impressive 21 goals during his one and half seasons with the Cityzens before completing a British record transfer fee to Italian giants Torino in 1961. Following a problem-filled season in Turin, Law was back in England this time joining City's rivals Manchester United beating his own British transfer fee.
At Old Trafford, Law formed an impressive partnership with Northern Ireland born George Best and England born Sir Bobby Charlton which later came to be known as the Unity Trinity. The first player to be coined the name 'King' in Old Trafford, Denis went onto spent eleven seasons with Red Devils, winning two First Division titles and scoring an impressive 171 goals in 309 appearances.
Law left Manchester United in 1973 to rejoin his former side and city rivals Manchester City. In what to proved to be his final year as a professional Denis Law scored 9 goals for the Cityzens. In a cruel twist of destiny, in his final league match, Denis Law scored his final goal against former employers Manchester United.
In 18 years as a professional, the striker scored an impressive 201 top division goals in 377 league matches

26. Harry Johnson - 201 goals

A man who still remains as the record goalscorer for two different clubs. 

The man who holds the adorns the Top Scorer charts for two different clubs. Harry Johnson started his professional career with Sheffield United in 1916. Johnson made his debut for the Blades at the age of 17, after numerous players were sent on War duty.
Four years of the young star's career was robbed after the league was suspended due to the First World War. Johnson dominated defences during the 1920s as he scored over two hundred goals for the Blades. The striker left the club in 1931 to join Mansfield Town after eleven years scoring 201 league goals in 313 appearances.
Harry Johnson never played in the First Division again but still managed to score over a hundred goals for Mansfield Town despite playing there for just three years.
Harry Johnson still remains the highest goal scorer for both Sheffield United and Mansfield Town. The striker sadly passed away in 1981 at the age of 82. 

25. Vic Watson - 203 goals

One of the greatest bit of transfer business that West Ham United ever did in their history

Another striker who gave nightmares to defenders during the 1920s till the mid-1930s, Vic Watson started his footballing career with Wellingborough Town. The striker arrived in East London to join West Ham United for a very cheap fee of £50 following the Hammers entry into the Football League.
Watson signing proved to be a shrewd piece of business as the Hammers gained promotion to the First Division just three seasons later. With the striker at the peak of his powers, West Ham managed to avoid relegation for nine seasons before eventually going down at the end of the 1931-32 season, in what proved to Watson last ever season in the First Division.
The Girton-born forward went onto spent three more seasons with the Hammers in the second division before joining Southampton in 1935 where he hung up his boots at the end of the season.
 During his nine seasons in the First Division, Vic Watson scored an impressive 203 goals in 295 appearances. The striker till date remains West Ham's leading goal scorer with 326 goals. Vic Watson sadly passed away in 1988 at the age of 90.

24. Arthur Chandler - 204 goals

The most lethal striker in the history of Leicester City

To all those guys who thought Jaime Vardy was Leicester City's best-ever goal-scoring machine, Your Wrong. It belongs to another man named Arthur Chandler who spent thirteen seasons with the Foxes.
The striker started his professional career late at the age of 24 with Queens Park Rangers. He joined the Foxes at the age of 27 in 1923. Chandler sparked into life at Filbert street scoring a whopping 62 goals in his first two seasons as Leicester earned promotion to the First Division.
The striker continued his form into the First Division scoring more than 26 goals in his first five seasons in the top division. Chandler spent five more seasons with the Foxes before moving to Notts County in 1935 and ending his career there.
Arthur Chandler spent thirteen seasons at Filbert Street and scored an impressive 204 top division goals in 309 appearances. The striker still remains Leicester City's leading scorer with 273 goals. He is also the highest English top division goalscorer never to receive an international call-up for the national side. Chandler died in 1984 at the age of 88.

23. Bobby Gurney - 205 goals

A player who arrived a bit too late at Roker Park

The Silksworth-born lad played for just one club in his entire professional career, Sunderland. Bobby Gurney arrived at Roker Park long after the Black Cats period of domination during the early stages of the league.
Spotted by Sunderland legend Charlie Buchan while playing with the non-league side Bishop Auckland, Bobby Gurney arrived at the Roker Park in 1925 and made his debut a year later. Under the tutelage of Dave Halliday, the striker grew into one of the best goal-scorers during the 1920s and took over from the Scott after he left for Arsenal four years later.
Gurney spent 14 seasons in the Tyneside with Sunderland as a player before injuries and the Second World War cut short the striker's career. The striker finally won his first and only First Division title in 1936.
Bobby Gurney made 348 top division appearances and scored 205 times. He still remains Sunderland's highest goalscorer with 228 goals.

Also Read: Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English Football: 22-17

Note: The historical aspect of the list has slight problems with many contradictions on the number of goals scored by some of the older players. I have made the list after referring to a few websites to check the authenticity of the number of goals scored.